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‘Fun-Loving’ Indiana Mom Found Dead, Ex’s Body Discovered Next Day
Authorities are investigating if the Mother’s Day weekend murder of esteemed Indiana businesswoman Cassondra Wilson was a domestic murder-suicide.
The former husband of an Indiana business woman, found murdered in her apartment last week, also turned up dead a day later, roughly 50 miles away, according to police.
Authorities found the body of Cassondra Wilson at a Columbus, Indiana apartment building last Friday, according to NBC affiliate WTHR. She had been shot in the head, WXIN reported. Her death was subsequently ruled a homicide. The 45-year-old was a mother of three.
Wilson’s ex-husband, Troy Wilson, was initially identified as a possible person of interest in the mother's killing, but was reported dead hours later, law enforcement said. The 45-year-old Indiana mom reportedly had an active protective order against him.
Local residents, who reportedly heard gunshots on the evening of May 8, were later stunned to learn Cassondra, a prominent figure in the city’s business community, had been gunned down only footsteps from their front door in the Mother’s Day weekend slaying.
"I mean just 'bang, bang' really close together and clearly gunshot, didn't even enter our mind that it was something else," Scott Bourland told WTHR. "My wife and I clearly heard two gunshots.”
Hours later, Troy’s corpse was found by police alongside Dandy Trail on Indianapolis’ west side, WTHR reported. Authorities haven’t yet ruled the deaths a murder-suicide.
“Investigators from not only our department, but the Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Office and the State Police are assisting as part of our death investigation team,” Columbus Police Lt. Matt Harris told WXIN.
Authorities also confirmed that Cassondra had a “valid protective order against her ex-husband.”
One of her three children, college football player Cam Wilson, is a wide receiver at Indiana University, according to Sports Illustrated.
Cassondra is described as a “hardworking, fun-loving mother,” on a GoFundMe page organized by the family.
“Cassondra devoted her life to helping people reach their full potential,” Jaden Wilson wrote on the page. “The love we all carry in our hearts for Cassondra will be her lasting legacy and impression on the world.”
Wilson was the CEO of professional development and specialized training firm, TrainerConnect in Columbus. Public officials and local business leaders also paid tribute to her after news of her passing spread through the city.
“[She was] sharp as a tack and so easy to talk to — just a nice human being,” former Columbus mayor Fred Armstrong said, the Republic reported.
“She was very excited about giving people the skills they needed to be more effective,” Cindy Frey, president of the Columbus area Chamber of Commerce, told WXIN.
Frey said the ambitious Indiana philanthropist was “highly motivated,” “driven,” and “really results-oriented.”
“I just had a lot of respect for her business savvy,” Frey added.
The city official said that Wilson had only moved her company into a new building in March.
Others said she’ll be remembered for her work advocating for minority women in the workforce.
"You don't expect violent crime to touch people who are so filled with light," Lesley Crane, who worked with Wilson on local business initiatives, told WTHR.
